Early Myofunctional Orthodontics

Early Orthodontics for children& teens in Melbourne

Located in Bentleigh East serving all nearby suburbs in the Melbourne Eastern & Bayside

Dr Nomita Gonsalvez is a general dentist with a keen interest in orthodontics. She offers a variety of orthodontic treatments for children, teenagers and adults. Some aspects of orthodontic approach at the dental Gallery are in direct contrast to traditional orthodontics and many specialist orthodontists may not appreciate this alternative. Hence we encourage you to ensure you have at least two different opinions before commencing any treatment to ensure that this approach is the right one for you.

Orthodontic treatment at the dental gallery may be of interest to you if:

• You want to improve your child’s smile
• Your child has an orthodontic problem that concerns you but you have been told to delay treatment until further dental development and you would like a second opinion
• You have been recommended treatment that involves the extraction of permanent teeth and would like a second opinion
• You are interested in early interceptive treatment options for your child under the age of 7, the traditional age for a child’s first orthodontic assessment
• You have any concerns about your child’s dental and facial development or would like preventive orthodontic advice from birth and onwards
• Your child has a history of mouth breathing, snoring, ear infections, removal of adenoids and tonsils or dummy or thumb sucking.

What orthodontic treatment options are available at the dental gallery?

• Pre-orthodontic treatment before the age of 7 to address developmental issues, habits and poor muscle function to prevent the need for any orthodontic intervention. This includes Myobrace, a system of removable appliances worn in young children to address the muscle imbalances that can contribute to orthodontic problems.  This can help to prevent more serious problems from developing and minimizes the need for more complex orthodontic treatment in the future.
• Early Functional Orthodontics – the use of various removable or fixed appliances that help correct or modify jaw growth from around the age of 7.
• Passive self-ligation braces/Damon braces– an innovative system of braces that uses frictionless brackets and unique memory wires to achieve broader smiles, often without the need for extraction of teeth.
• Myofunctional Therapy – The management of improper orofacial habits and muscle patterns such as thumb sucking, mouth breathing, tongue ties, tongue thrusts and reverse swallows in order to restore more normal function and form.

Why chose Dr Gonsalvez for your orthodontic treatment?

Dr Gonsalvez is not a specialist orthodontist, but is a general dentist with a keen interest in orthodontics. 

Dr Gonsalvez’s areas of interest within orthodontics include:

• Preventive orthodontic advice from birth
• Early orthodontic treatment
• Airway-focused dentistry – a holistic approach to dental health diagnosis and management
• Non extraction orthodontic treatment
• Looking at the link between orthodontics, jaw structure, sleep and breathing.
• Utilizing myofunctional treatment to address the improper muscle function and habits and how this can contribute to crooked teeth and poor facial development

Dr Gonsalvez’s qualifications include:

• 1998 – Bachelor of Dental Science, University of Melbourne (Ernest Joski Prize; Final Year Academic Award)
• 2000 – Royal Australian College of Dental Surgeons, Part 1 (RACDS)
• 2005-2007 – Orthodontic mini-residency EODO (Sydney)
• 2015 – Certified in Oral Myology, Coulson Institute
• 2016 – Postgraduate Diploma in Dental Sleep Medicine, University of Western Australia
• 2016- Untangling Tongue Ties, Foundation Course
• 2017- Untangling Tongue Ties, Advanced Course (Children and Adults)
• 2020–2023 – Mini-residency in Orthodontics, OrthoEd Institute
• 2023 – Fellow of the Pierre Fauchard Academy
• 2024 – Postgraduate Diploma in Orthodontics, United Kingdom
• 2025 -2026 – Mastering of Paediatric Dental Sleep Medicine, Dr Audrey Yoon (Stanford)
• 2025 -2026 – Advanced Implementation in Dental Seep Medicine 1 year program, Dr Audrey Yoon (Stanford)

Dr Gonsalvez’s Professional affiliations

She is a member of the following leading organizations that promote awareness  of the links between breathing, facial growth, orthodontics and myofunctional therapy.

• Academy of Applied Myofunctional Sciences
• Australian Sleep Association
• American Academy of Craniofacial pain

To book a consultation or to receive more information please fill out the enquiry or call the dental gallery. Located in Bentleigh East, we aim to provide quality early orthodontic care across Eastern Bayside suburbs like McKinnon, Ormond, Carnegie, Caulfield, Murrumbeena, Oakleigh, Moorabbin, Brighton, Caulfield, Malvern, Elwood and Cheltenham.